Tablecloth weights tearing

I think that the plastic clamps work better than the metal clamps. I've seen bean bags with lead shot work well.

An artistically painted brick on each corner can be pretty and will normally hold the table cloth down. If they don't, it's time to go home! :B

We got rid of clamps way back when. Width of picnic table tops vary and clips did/do not always work.

Bungee chords is what we have used for years.

I second the bungee cords. Our hardware store sells the cord by the foot (cheap!) and they also sell the hooks. We got enough cord for the widest of tables and then tied a couple of loops into the cord at varying distances to use for narrower tables. Works great!

How long a bungee cord do you need?

We bought 11' of cord and cut it in half. We have only used the full length once on a super wide table, but it's there if we need it.

I've never had a problem with the metal clips tearing the tablecloth material but yes some clips are made better than others. My personal fav are the ones sold in the green cardboard packs (sorry can't recall the name). I don't like the ones from Coleman since they aren't deep enough and tend to pop off.